By Brady Rodgers
Have you ever changed jobs? Moved to a different community? Or just went through a transition at some point in your life?
I’ve recently transitioned from workforce development into the economic development world. I have been fortunate to be welcomed with open arms here at the Adams Economic Alliance. Over the past three months, Robin Fitzpatrick and Kaycee Kemper have gone out of their way to introduce me to the complex, fascinating world of economic development.
Since I’m new to economic development, I often find myself stumbling over terminology or the many different loan programs we offer here at the Alliance. But one thing has become crystal clear to me: Adams Economic Alliance is successful thanks to partners, investors, and our community collaborating to achieve our common goal of improving the quality of life in Adams County.
One of the first tasks I was assigned as Director of Business and Community Outreach was identifying how we could strengthen our partnerships with Adams County CareerLink. The Adams County CareerLink has a variety of services, including specific services for veterans and their families.
There are 7,792 veterans who currently call Adams County home. And our Adams County veterans face many challenges upon their return home—which include affordable housing, transportation, mental health and even food insecurity. This has struck a chord with me. And I think many of these issues are fixable, especially if we tackle them as a community.
Many veterans face these challenges transitioning back to lives they left behind. Veterans often have difficulty discussing military service with family and friends. And unfortunately, veterans and their families are often unaware of community resources. Here at the Alliance, we are again relying on our partners, investors, and community to better serve our veteran community.
That’s why the Alliance has started working with Adams County Veteran Affairs, PA Vet Connect and PA CareerLink to bring local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and veterans together to better serve those that have served our country.
The Alliance recently attended an information session to learn more about resources that support veteran owned businesses. There is so much more we will be learning about, and then sharing with the community, to advocate for our Adams County veterans’ community.
And here’s your chance to do the same: We are asking anyone interested in supporting our veterans to join us. We welcome any business, nonprofit, veteran, or community member who would be interested in participating in a future Veterans Roundtable discussion. The goal is to identify veterans’ needs and, as a community, serve those who honorably served our country.
For more information or to join the Veterans Roundtable, please email Brady Rodgers at [email protected] or call 717-334-0042, Ext.4.
Brady Rodgers is Director of Business and Community Outreach at Adams Economic Alliance, which comprises three organizations: The Adams County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC), the Adams County Industrial Development Authority (ACIDA) and the Adams County General Authority (ACGA). Follow us on Twitter (@AdamsAlliance), Facebook (Facebook.com/AdamsAlliance) and LinkedIn (Adams Economic Alliance).
This article originally published in the Gettysburg Times, August 11, 2022
